What’s Right With Our Schools: CCA Cording Ceremony
CATOOSA COUNTY, GA (WDEF) – The Catoosa College & Career Academy recently completed its Cording Ceremony. It celebrated students earning industry credentials, scholarships, and awards. That’s a great example of “What’s Right With Our Schools”.
Chance Nix is the Superintendent of Catoosa County Schools.
He says, “Oh it’s incredible. Yes, it’s growing every year. As folks in our community realize this is where you send your kids to get a job.”
Mark Pierce is the CEO of the College and Career Academy.
He says, ” One of our goals has been, to create a space where every student can feel loved and accepted, safe and valued. A space where you could learn career skills and fine-tune your professional skills so you would be career ready, college ready, life ready.”
Graduate Christin Hughes says, ” This is really important to me like, we get to learn our trade. You don’t really get to do this, too many other places. They teach you know… to be affected. Be efficient be the best you can be for the workplace.”
Graduate Josh Butler adds, “I don’t know where I would be without it. If I didn’t come to the CCA if I stayed at my base school, I would’ve never figured out what I want to do with my life. I would’ve never gotten the opportunities that I’ve gotten from this program. I mean like, I’m, I’m basically prepared to work straight out of high school.”
Graduate Shelby Jones chips in, “Just really prepared me more like physically just being able to do all the hands-on skills and all of that to like help, like better the career and everything.”
Graduate Marissa Brower says, “This year you have earned 139 Technical college certificate and 262 industry credentials of value.”
Superintendent Nix adds, “Over $400,000 worth of savings to families right here in Catoosa County on college. That’s a massive savings for our community that comes right out of the Career Academy. Now we have so many more opportunities. That’s the keyword, opportunities for kids. And every survey that the board and I send out one thing that comes back at the top of the list every single time is parents want opportunities for their kids. And that’s what this place is, it’s an opportunity factory. It connects kids with employers. It connects them with colleges, and it connects to their future.”
CEO Pierce concludes, “Seniors as you leave us, and enter the work, the values you learn here will set you apart from the average person. They will truly set you up for success. Our motto is this, your future starts here and now seniors, your future has begun.”
